Warriors coach Steve Kerr sees some Manu Ginobili in Steph Curry

Updated 5:57 pm, Saturday, March 12, 2016

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San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, right, of Argentina, drives around Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate) less

San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, right, of Argentina, drives around Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in San Antonio. ... more

Photo: Darren Abate, Associated Press

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He's back for another season in Silver & Black, and here are the 20 reasons why Spurs nation will always love Manu Ginobili.

He's back for another season in Silver & Black, and here are the 20 reasons why Spurs nation will always love Manu Ginobili.

Photo: Courtesy

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1. His versatile acting skills

Whether he's portraying a Time Warner customer or a monk protective of his aura, he's entertained us off the court as much as he has on.

1. His versatile acting skills

Whether he's portraying a Time Warner customer or a monk protective of his aura, he's entertained us off the court as much as he has on.

Photo: Still Frame From YouTube Video

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2. He's a fearless man's man

He proved it when he swatted, then picked up a wild bat with his bare hands.

2. He's a fearless man's man

He proved it when he swatted, then picked up a wild bat with his bare hands.

Photo: Darren Abate, Associated Press

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3. His bald spot has a spot in our hearts

It's no secret Ginobili's hair has been thinning over the years. There have been jokes made about his bald spot but the perfectly round island in a sea of dark hair has become a trademark.

"He's a terrific ambassador of the balding community," Express-News Assistant Sports Editor Chuck Blount said. "He's one of us, because he owns it."

4. We wait to see what he's going to Tweet next Ginobili is one of the funniest athletes on Twitter and Hoop's Hype has taken notice by naming him Tweeter of the Year two consecutive times. Whether he's making jabs at his teammates or making himself the laughing stock, Manu is a welcomed sight on Spurs Twitter timelines. Here are some examples of his mastery...

4. We wait to see what he's going to Tweet next
Ginobili is one of the funniest athletes on Twitter and Hoop's Hype has taken notice by naming him Tweeter of the Year two consecutive times. Whether he's ... more

Photo: Mendoza, Madalyn S, Twitter.com

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Who else would give themselves a photoshopped rhinoplasty?

Who else would give themselves a photoshopped rhinoplasty?

Photo: Mendoza, Madalyn S, Twitter.com

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5. We love seeing these reactions

The Spurs aren't known to celebrate much but Ginobili does enough hooting and hollering for the entire team and we enjoy every second of it because we're probably making the same faces at home or in the stands.

7. His willingness to consistently sacrifice his body to give it his all

Ginobili is not afraid to put his body on the line and even when it results in injuries, he's continued to play through injured noses and elbows. Besides physical ailments, he's contributed regardless of aging and heartbreaking losses.

Twitter user Ethan Rosenthal, @EthanVRosenthal, said he will always love the tenacious Ginobili's heart. "(He's) always been an inspiration, to play with more heart than anyone on the court," he tweeted.

In a community with a large Spanish-speaking population, the social Argentinian fit in from day one.

"One can imagine since he speaks the language of a lot of the people who live here, it endears him even more," Coach Gregg Popovich said in 2013. "So when you put it all together, he's quite a popular young man."

Ginobili's performance has changed with age but his contribution to the team has not, he's had a part in four of the five championships.

9. He's helped bring us this far

Ginobili's performance has changed with age but his contribution to the team has not, he's had a part in four of the five championships.

Photo: Connor Radnovich

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10. His precise yet flamboyant passes

Whether he's threading the ball through or making our hearts skip a beat with a behind-the-back pass, Ginobili's fancy skills add spice to "The Beautiful Game."

10. His precise yet flamboyant passes

Whether he's threading the ball through or making our hearts skip a beat with a behind-the-back pass, Ginobili's fancy skills add spice to "The Beautiful Game."

Photo: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

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In fact, his play is so hot, he once busted out of his shoe during a game. Remember that?

In fact, his play is so hot, he once busted out of his shoe during a game. Remember that?

Photo: Dan McCarney

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11. He got his revenge on officials and gave one a technical foul

After Leeroy Richardson accidentally hit Ginobili with a ball to the face, he T'd him up.

11. He got his revenge on officials and gave one a technical foul

After Leeroy Richardson accidentally hit Ginobili with a ball to the face, he T'd him up.

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12. Because he loves us, too

The loyal Ginobili will surely be added to the list of Spurs "lifers," he's said it himself.

"I'll be bound to the city for life. I feel the affection and respect of the people for all that has been accomplished," he said. He has also called finishing his career with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Coach Popovich a "dream."

When he's not winning championships with his silver and black family, he's cuddling his three baby boys and spending time with his beautiful wife.

18. He's a family man, through and through

When he's not winning championships with his silver and black family, he's cuddling his three baby boys and spending time with his beautiful wife.

Photo: Mendoza, Madalyn S, Twitter.com

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19. He's accepting

When fellow NBA player Jason Collins revealed he was gay, Ginobili didn't understand why it became a controversy.

"It should be normal, and he shouldn't even have to announce it or say it. Nobody should care," he said. "He has guts. It's not easy to do and, hopefully, he helps more people be free with their bodies and feel like themselves."

Whether he chooses to play another year or retire, Ginobili's time in a Spurs jersey will always be appreciated and remembered. Thank you, Manu.

20. He will be ingrained in the Spurs history forever

Whether he chooses to play another year or retire, Ginobili's time in a Spurs jersey will always be appreciated and remembered. Thank you, Manu.

Photo: Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images

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Warriors coach Steve Kerr sees some Manu Ginobili in Steph Curry

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Manu Ginobili has always operated within a special realm that coach Gregg Popovich has reserved for him and him alone.

Ginobili plays on a ledge, separate those who have come and gone during Popovich’s 20-year reign. He jumps from that ledge often, but where other players would be benched and scorned, Ginobili is not.

Even Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard have to fear the Wrath of Pop, but Ginobili has earned a special exemption.

Over his 14 seasons in the league, Ginobili has come to be defined by his eccentric style, the way he gallops about the court like some sort of wild Argentine stallion, searching for a play no one in their right mind would even see, let alone attempt to make.

Golden State Warriors coach and former Spurs player Steve Kerr believes there may be a kindred spirit of Ginobili's on his team: reigning MVP Stephen Curry.

“Sometimes I think about when I played with the Spurs and it was Manu Ginobili's first year and Pop used to go nuts when Manu would come down and throw all these behind-the-back passes,” Kerr said following Thursday’s win over the Utah Jazz, according to Golden State of Mind. “And finally after a game one time Pop said to Manu, ‘Why do you have to throw that pass behind the back? What are you doing?’ And Manu said, ‘Pop, this is what I do.’

“At that point, Pop was like, ‘Alright!’ There's a certain amount of that on this team because with the skill involved – especially with Steph (Curry). Steph's gonna throw some around the back stuff and he's gonna’ make some crazy plays. Obviously so much of it is more good than bad so you live with it."

It’s easy to see some of Ginobili in Curry.

They play loose and fast, reckless and uninhibited. There’s no fear in either of them.

Their visions of grandeur often lead to mistakes and turnovers, but they can also produce works of art.

That doesn’t mean Kerr and Popovich are immune to losing their minds – there’s just no way for a coach to ever become 100 percent comfortable with something so wholly unpredictable.

But, as both Kerr and Popovich have learned with these two, sometimes it's better to just sit back and let the artists go to work.